We all have problems with weak Wi-Fi signals, but this isn’t always the fault of the router. A weak Wi-Fi signal is often due to small, weak wireless receivers in our smartphone, tablets and laptops. If we have neighbours nearby, the concentration of competing Wi-Fi signals can also be a problem. And, if you live in a larger home, you may also have ‘dead spots’ where your Wi-Fi signal simply doesn’t reach.
In the past, you would probably use a Wi-Fi extender to try to boost your signal, but these can be complex to install and may offer limited improvement. Google Wi-Fi is a great alternative to a Wi-Fi extender, and much easier to set up. In our opinion it’s the best wireless mesh router on the market.
Google Wi-Fi is a new approach to home Wi-Fi that replaces your traditional modem to offer seamless coverage throughout your home. It is known as a mesh Wi-Fi system.
What is a mesh Wi-Fi system? Mesh routers work by having multiple units placed around the home which are then connected through a ‘802.11s mesh protocol’.
In practice – It’s a simple and reliable way to spread Wi-Fi throughout your home. You simply spread the 3 hubs around your home, each hub acts as a Wi-Fi access point, offering a better Wi-Fi connection across your home. It is much easier to set up and use than a traditional Wi-Fi extender.
Set up is super easy using the free Google Wifi smartphone app. The app deals with more complex issues in the background, taking care of a lot of the complexity associated with setting up and managing your network.
Unlike traditional boxy wifi routers with antennaes and flashy lights, you won’t want to hide the Google Wi-Fi units out of sight. They have a white minimalist design that will fit into any décor.
If you move to a bigger home, you simply purchase more Google Wi-Fi units to cover a larger area.
You can track how many devices are connected at any one time, prioritise connection for a particular device, or pause connections for certain devices (eg, children’s electronics).
Since you have multiple Wi-Fi points connected, the data can take several paths. Google Wi-Fi points will choose the fastest route from your device to the internet.
Want to try it out? Buying a Google Wi-Fi 3-pack in New Zealand will set you back an RRP of $599. Orcon has one of the best deals around to try Google Wi-Fi out as part of your broadband package. If you have a big appetite for broadband, their Gigantic Fibre package includes Free Google Wi-Fi 3 pack rental on a 24 month contract. This is a great opportunity to get a great deal on broadband and try out Google Wi-Fi.
